Hi Sharon,

Thank you for contacting the UVM Master Gardener Helpline with your question. White pines usually live until they are 200 years old before succumbing to their natural death. They grow vigorously but sometimes die unexpectedly and rapidly, seemingly without a specific cause. To complicate matters, it is common to see individual trees dying while nearby white pines remain healthy.

Several factors can cause the needles to turn yellow. These include:

- Water stress. Drought or waterlogged soil can stress the tree, leading to yellowing needles. White pines prefer well-drained soil, so excessive moisture or dryness can cause issues.

- Pests and diseases. Insects like pine needle scale or diseases like white pine needle disease can cause yellowing needles.

-Environmental stress. Factors such as extreme temperatures, or compacted soil can stress the tree and lead to yellowing needles.

- Root damage. Construction activities or soil compaction near the tree's roots can damage them, affecting the tree's ability to take up water and nutrients. Trees may thrive for several years in clay soils, but then decline rapidly following a year with frequent, heavy rainfall which results in prolonged soil saturation, loss of root function and root decay.

- Nutrient Deficiency. Yellowing needles can indicate a lack of essential nutrients, particularly nitrogen, which is important for foliage health. Soil testing can determine if the soil lacks specific nutrients, and appropriate fertilization can help remedy deficiencies.

-pH. White pines prefer slightly acidic soil. If the soil pH is too high or too low, it can affect the tree's nutrient uptake and lead to yellowing needles.

- Competition. Nearby trees or plants competing for resources such as water, sunlight, and nutrients can stress the white pine and result in yellowing needles.

Additional information on white pine dieback can be found:

https://ag.umass.edu/landscape/fact-sheets/dieback-of-eastern-white-pine

https://extension.unh.edu/resource/field-manual-managing-eastern-white-pine-health-new-england

https://extension.psu.edu/eastern-white-pine-modern-disease-threats-to-a-historically-important-species

https://ag.umass.edu/sites/ag.umass.edu/files/content-files/alerts-messages/016_white_pine_update.pdf

You may want to consider a soil test. Soil test forms and instructions can be found on the UVM website: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/agricultural-and-environmental-testing-lab. Soil testing can provide you with useful information regarding pH and organic matter content. You should also examine the tree's surroundings and inspect the tree for signs of pests or diseases to help pinpoint the cause of the yellowing needles in order to determine the appropriate course of action to address the issue.

I hope this helps,

Hi Sharon,

I wanted to update you with recent information published in Vermont newspapers in the last few days which may be the issue that you are experiencing.   Many people's trees have white pine needle disease caused by the the excessive rainfall Vermont received last year.  This fungi causes pine needles to turn brown and yellow and fall off prematurely.  Although the trees look sick, healthy trees will recover.

https://vtdigger.org/2024/06/11/vermonts-brown-pine-trees-arent-dead-theyre-just-a-little-sick/

https://www.benningtonbanner.com/outdoors/widespread-symptoms-of-white-pine-needle-damage-reported-statewide/article_9dbe5466-28c0-11ef-bc32-63e957a40abc.html